I Would Still Die For You
by Japple Jacks
Summary: When Victor van Dort finds himself back in the Afterlife, he believed he would be all alone. All he wanted was to see Emily one last time, but it was impossible-she disappeared with the butterflies. Didn't she? Emily/Victor Songfic to "Car Underwater" AU


**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Corpse Bride. That is Tim Burton's creation. Nor do I own the song "Car Underwater" - that belongs to Armor for Sleep. Oh, how I wish…**

**Okay so this story is somewhat skewed. Forgive that. Set about a week after the end of Corpse Bride. But it is an Emily/Victor story nonetheless. If you don't like it, you may leave. But if not, please do continue. Critiques appreciated! And now, onto the show!**

'_There, it's all finished. Phillip shall find this and all will be well.' _

Victor van Dort set the quill down on his desk and cracked his knuckles. He rolled his neck around to loosen up his tensed muscles. Looking back down to the letter he had just finished, he folded it up and put it in an envelope. His gaze aimed up toward the bright moon and he thought of her. Her… She was his sole reason to do anything anymore. He had planned for this night meticulously, gathering everything and also gathering his courage.

As he stood up, his knee bones cracked. A faint memory came back to him. _There they were, standing near that tree. The moonlight glistening on her flowing hair. She danced around him while humming a tune. She looked at him with joyful eyes and twirled around him. Smiling the whole time. That was the first night that he hurt her…_ Blinking twice, he went to draw his own bath. After discarding his clothes and leaving them on his bed, he grabbed his well hidden pocket knife. Smirking at the feel of the leather sheath, he headed into the washroom.

Soaking in the warm water, Victor's thoughts kept roaming around and heading back to one person. Emily. Victor grabbed the knife, remembering when Bonejangles gave it to him as a "wedding gift." He then thought of Victoria and her parents, his parents, and Pastor Galswells, The expectations for tomorrow's wedding, the one that should all go according to plan. He took the sheath off and held the blade close. "Victoria…" he whispered to the empty room.

_**Believe the news, I'm gone for good. Call off the search – no one will know that I'm down here. Believe the note I left for you, you can't turn back the clocks. You can't pull me up from here so don't try.**_

No doubt that the town crier would headline this to the whole town on the morning. But he didn't care. Hoping that Victoria would get the note, with time she would understand his decision. But his fated meeting with the corpse bride was inevitable. So was his choice. He didn't even feel the blade as it plunged into his veins, draining his life away with each beat of his heart. The bathwater was slowly being stained crimson. Slipping further down in the tub, emerging himself in the warm red liquid. He recounted some past memories.

Getting his dogs Scraps… Visiting his father's fish factory… Seeing the Boogeyman in the dark, terrifying nights… The kids at school ridiculing him... Cold winters. Warm autumn evenings. Emily. Butterflies. Black.

_**I'm in pain and underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

_**I'm still in love, underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

*_*_*_*_*_*_*

"NEW ARRIVAL!!"

Emily stirred from her nap. She was lounging on the coffin shaped couch behind the Ball & Socket. She was glad, though because she had the weirdest dream. She saw Victor underwater. His eyes were closed and his body was limp, but he had the most serene look on his face. The lifeless body of her once "husband' just kept sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of that unknown ocean. The worst part was she couldn't do a thing, forced to watch her true love disappear.

After taking some time to reflect on it, she decided to go and see if she could greet the newest member of the living dead. Upon entering, the welcoming committee crowd seemed more jovial than usual. Bonejangles sneaked out of the crowd with a huge grin on his skeletal face. "Hey there, doll. Wait till you see the arrival!" he said with a wink before going off to search for the other Bone Boys.

Eventually Emily managed to worm her into the crowd, and then some started to leave. She spotted Paul talking with the arrival and ordered some cockroaches to fetch some drink. Paul caught sight of her smiled at her.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Paul looked back at Victor and smiled even wider. "I beeleef zat sumvone eez here to see joo." He said before scurrying away. Victor arched an eyebrow before turning around. "Emily."

_**Make time slower and give me longer. It's too late for me – no one will know that I'm down here. And believe your dreams of my sinking so far below. You can't pull me up from here so don't try.**_

Emily gasped. "Victor?! How did you- Oh Victor!" She ran up and gave him a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her, much to Emily's surprise. They stayed like that for a while before she grabbed his hand and led him to the back of the pub where she had been earlier.

Once they were sitting, she asked him, "Victor, what happened to you?" He looked at her then looked away and tried to fight back his nervous stutter. "Well I-I… uhm. You s-see…" Upon hearing that, she grabbed his hand to try to encourage him. But she felt something on the palm of his hand. She frowned and pulled his hand closer. He tried to pull his hand back, but she gripped it firmly and pushed his sleeve up. A gasp left her lips once she saw the deep gashes covering his forearms. Especially one cut that ran from the palm of his hand to the bend of his elbow.

She looked up at him with questioning eyes. Victor let out a deep sigh before saying. "I did that." Silence rang between them for a good few minutes. "In my bath, under the water. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't go through with the wedding to Victoria. I—don't love her." A tear escaped from Emily's eye. _'How could he do this to himself? He deserves a happy life upstairs – it's too soon for him to be down here.'_ Now she knew why she saw him drowning in her dreams.

Victor looked back to her only to see tears in her eyes. He reached up to wipe them away. Then realization dawned on him. "Emily- you're still here. I thought you had moved on from here when you disappeared with the butterflies." Emily leaned into his hand that lingered on her cheek. She gave him a sad look. "I wanted you to believe that I had moved on so you would lead a happy life with her upstairs. I never wanted you to be unhappy; I thought it was for the best."

"So the best was you lying to me? Emily, how could you?" he searched her eyes for the reason.

"I just wanted- Oh Victor, I'm so sorry." She turned away from him and tried to calm her sobbing.

_**I'm in pain and underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

_**I'm still in love, underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

He moved to kneel in front of her. "Emily I-." She stood up suddenly. "I have to go." She said before running off. Victor watched her hopelessly. "EMILY!!" But she kept running. He sulked back inside to the bar and ordered some weird drink that all the others seemed to love.

Bonejangles saw him at the bar and sidled up to him. "Hey there Vic, what's got such a groovy man like you so down and - BLUE!" He started cracking up at his joke about Victor's -and everyone else with flesh- skin color. Victor looked up at him with sad eyes. "She left me… that night at the church. Butterflies… And I came back for her, but she just ran away." He laid his head down onto the bar's counter and heaved a sigh.

Bonejangles scratched his boney chin and snapped his fingers as he thought of something. "Vic, do you know where the most romantic place down here is?" Victor shook his head yes. "Good, go up there and talk to her. Be gentle please, she is like my little sis." He punched Victors shoulder before dancing his way over to the piano. Victor stood up and cast a glance at the 'Singing Skeletal Sensation' before running off to find her.

_**Leave it up to me to burden you again. This one's not your fault, please forgive me. Leave it up to me to burden you again. This one's not you fault so forget, so forget, so forget me.**_

_**Don't think back, don't think back, don't think back of me at all. Just let me go. Don't think back, don't think back, don't think back of me at all. Just let me go. Don't think back, don't think back, don't think back of me at all...**_

Victor stopped running just before the stairs. Reaching into his coat pocket, he felt what he was looking for. While smirking, he looked around and thought of the first time he had come here.

_He has avoiding her."A dead end!" Looking over his shoulder, he decided he would have to climb up the small cliff to get away. Near the top Victor reached through the bars to grab hold of anything. Then he realized it was his 'wife's' leg. She giggled and grabbed his arm and helped him up. "Could've used the stairs, silly." That was the first moment when he started to fall for her. Emily had even found his old dog Scraps and given him back as a wedding gift._

Cautiously Victor made his way up the stairs. He heard someone sobbing and knew it was Emily. When he caught sight of her, his heart broke, if that was even possible once you were dead. He gingerly sat down next to her crumpled form. Reaching out and tenderly laying a hand on her back got her attention. Briefly he contemplated the contrast of his deathly blue hands against the worn white fabric of her dress.

Emily shifted to see Victor there, smiling at her. She hastily wiped her eyes and threw him a glare. "What now, Victor?" A sharp pain ran through Victor's chest as he realized he kept causing her pain. "Emily, I have to tell you this, I- I love you."

Her eyes widened as she realized why he did that to himself. He did love her after all. A gigantic grin grew on her face. "Oh Victor!" But before she could finish, he kneeled down on one knee in front of her and pulled out the ring. Victor looked up to her and said, "With this ring, I ask you to be mine."

Tears of joy leaked from Emily's eyes and she tackled him down with a tight hug. "Yes! Yes, always!" He hugged her back fiercely. Once she pulled back a bit, he slid the ring onto her skeletal finger. They looked at each other before capturing each other's lips in a passionate kiss.

_**I'm in pain and underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

_**I'm still in love, underwater with time to kill, thinking back I forgot to tell you this. I didn't care that you left and abandoned me, what hurts more is I would still die for you.**_

_**And I would still die for you…**_


End file.
